A Salisbury, N.B., family who has been fighting a losing battle with the village to keep their horses due to zoning issues has been dealt another blow —they’ve been given only two weeks to find a new home for the animals.
Gerrie and Yan Dangremond moved to the village from the Netherlands four years ago to give their daughters a better life. When they arrived, they bought a five-and-a-half-acre property in Salisbury with a barn, thinking they’d be able to raise their horses Misty and Reiner, one of which is a rescue and has health problems.
But after they built a fence to keep the horses in, they received notice from the village that they violated a municipal bylaw by building the fence without a permit.
READ MORE: Zoning issues may cost New Brunswick family their horses
Now, after meeting with the Southeast Regional Service Commission last week, Gerrie says they’ve been told the horses have to go.
“We were actually told that there is no possibility for us to keep the horses on our property,” she said.
Last month, the commission told Global News that the Dangremonds never had the right to have horses because the land was zoned residential, not agricultural, when they moved in.
Gerrie said the fact it’s not zoned as agricultural is confusing because it’s 5.6 acres of land and has a “big old barn.”
The family hasn’t been without support though in trying to get things changed.
Don Jenderson, the Dangremonds’ neighbour, and his wife, gathered at least 800 signatures from supporters in the village of only 2,000. But he said council won’t budge.
“We have gone around and gotten names from every house in the area here and everyone says, ‘My goodness, please don’t take those horses away,'” Jenderson said.
WATCH: A family in Salisbury, N.B. may be fighting a losing battle as they try to keep their beloved horses on the family lot. Paul Cormier has more
The mayor of Salisbury did not return calls requesting an interview with Global News.
Gerrie said she’s running out of options because she can’t afford to board the horses elsewhere but selling their property isn’t a possibility either as they recently started a bed and breakfast. She said savings are being put into renovating the barn for the business.
The option she’s looking at now is to raise $2,000 to apply to the village for “spot rezoning,” but expects she’ll get turned down for that too.
“You know at some point, you are so tired of all the stress and the worries,” Gerrie said. “Salisbury is really a nice little country village and I was hoping it would stay that way but I think they are talking about urban growth.”
Bill Wright, with the commission, told Global News last month that the village wants low-density housing growth in the area where the Dangremonds live, and so “it was the municipality’s right to not entertain the rezoning.”
READ MORE: Horse rescued after being stuck up to 10 hours in muddy ditch
Even with time ticking away for the family’s animals, Gerrie said she’s not giving up because selling her 15-year-old daughter’s pets isn’t an option.
“It hurts to see her sad and it shouldn’t be,” she said. “She works hard enough for them. To pay for the medication for Reiner and working with them — so no.”
—With files from Paul Cormier, Global News